Clarence carson



April 8, 1924.

C. CARSON HEADLIGHT LENS Filed March l5, 1922 2 Sheets5heet 1 IN VEN TORA TTORNEVS April 8 1924.

C. CARSON HEADLIGHT LENS Filed March l5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet P 1NvE/vrola A TroRNEl/ rimmed Apr. 8.1924.

UNITED STATES' A 1,489,697 PATENT orrlcs CLARENCE CARSON, 0F NEWROCHELLE, NEW YURK, ASSIGNOB T0 DODGE BROTHERS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ACORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN.

HEADLIGHT LENS.

\ Application led March 15, 1922. Serial No'. 54 3,833.

To all who-m it 11i/ay cof/wem:

`Be it known that I, CLARENCE CARSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Rochelle, N. Y., have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Headlight Lens, of which the following isga clear, full,and exact description. v Y

This invention relates to headli htlenses -andparticularly to lenses forhea li hts of the type having the usual parabo ic reflector' and havingthelamp located substantially at the focus of the reflector, and ageneral object of the invention-is'to provide a lens which will complywith the laws and regulations of the variousStates governing the glare,illuminating effect, elevation of beam, ctc.A of headlights.

A particular object of the invention so;

to construct the lens that while a'proper and suflicient illuminationwill he provided for the sides of the road, a larger proportion ofrthclight froln the lani to proper illumination o the road l'ahead than isutilized with. manyl lenses now on the rnarlre't4 which Vare designed tocomply with the laws and regulations of the various States.

l The invention aims also to rovide a lens of such simple construction.tliat it may be easily and inexpensively .molded and that the dies formolding the lens may be made at relatively small cost. l

Other objects und important features of the invc'ntiouwill appear fromthe following description und claims when consideredin connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a front elevation of alens embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionthrough the lens shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is-a dia rammatic *View4 illustrat-4 ing the outline o the beamof light produced by the lens when projected 'upon a vertical surface;

Fig. 4 shows a modification ofthe lens;l Fig. 5 is a detail sectiononthe line 5- 5- of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view'showing another modification of the lens; and

Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line of Fi 6. I I

As iereinahove suggested, the lens whch is the subject-matter of theresent invention is designed for use with t e usual headwill be directedit will not throv a Vblindin.

light, comprising a parabolic reflector and vof the road to illuminatepedestriansand others who may be traveling or standing close to thepath'of the -vehicle and 'at a relatively short distance ahead of thevehicle. It is further important that the head'flight throw a sufficientquantity of light i directly ahead of the vehicle to effectivelyilluminate the rond for a considerable distance ahead of the vehicle.this distance beingsulicxcnt to provide the pro er illumirnation fordriving at. relatively righl speed at night. It is also furtherimportant that the light be. so directed und controlled that glare invthe eyes of the driverof a vehic e goin# in the A opposite direction.Enchofthcse o ,ijects is` fully attained by thel lens invention. y

In the toi-m of the invention illustrated in Fig. lof the drawings,the,lcns is. pro .vided throughout its exposed area und preferably uponboth faccs with vertically 4nr- 4of 'the present.

`ranged ribs and grooves or -ril'hs and valleys,

these ribs :uid valleys living of curved' contourin cross section, thecombined cross section presenting a substantially sinuous contour oneach face, and each of the ribs und Vvalleysbeing of substantiallythesamo crosssectional contour froin'one end to the other. -In the lensillustrated in r Fig. 1,

there, are three groups of these ribs andfvalleys, twov lateral groupsin which all ot theribs 2a`re of the same height and referably of thesame width and in jwhici all of the valleys 4 are of the same depth andpreferably also of the same width, the valcys bein preferablyl also ofthe sarne width as the ri s, and an' intermediate group in which theribsV 61ers of less height than the ribs Z and have a transversecurvature upon an are of greater radius than Athat of the transversecurvature of the ribs 2, the valleys 8 of the intermediate grou bein`also shallower than the valleys 4an curve( in transverse section upon anarc of greater radius than that of the" vtransversesection ion ` them.

of the valleys The rihs 6 and velleys are refcrably also of equal Width,,this widt i being preferably -thesame asthat of the ribs 2 and valleysIl.

consequently transmit s much-lar Ter pror i the road.

portion of -the rays directly ahea of the headlight.. There is, however,e sufficient diffusion of the light tolprev'ent glare from that part ofthe beamthnt passes tlilughV this part of the lens.

' The general shape ol the beam-as pro- 4jected against a verticalsurface-isV shown in F' 3. From this figure' it will be noted 4that A eprincipal lightinge'eot is directly ahead of the vehicle and thatl onlysnlioient light is thrown laterally to clearly define the limits of theroad and objects. and per# sons atfthe side of 'the road. In employingl,a lens of this construction, lthe headlight is preferably tiltedfome-rd sliht/'ly 'so as to prevent the beam4 of light rom being`projected at too high an Eeleratim' aboye In F igs. LLand 6 of thedrawing' are shown modifications of the lens illustrated .in Fig.

1, Fi 4 showing a modification in which an.

annu er piene p ortion 10 is-prcvded outside the ribbed portion of the'lens 4to permit an additional-port of the heamjo lio'htto be throwndirectly, aheado the vehicle.: In

Fins. 6 and 7, instead of providing an annu ar plane portion 10 4asshown iii-Fi s. 4 and 5, a segmental portion12 is provided at. each sideof the ribs.

It will be noted froman4 inspection of Figs. 2, and 7, that thecnrvatoreis regular and continuons through the 'ribs 2 and the valleys 4, theline of contour of n transyverse section, through the lens constantlychanging direction. The .same 'is' vequally true of the lower ribs 6sind the -shallower vulleys'S.- 'ln the illustrated construction, -thevalleys and .ribs are composed of Vtroeaics 0f circuitsintersecting"tangential-ily* It will beseen that 'the lens hereinillustrated. and described can ver easily be molded and that the die formo ding such o `lens can readily be formed.

The lens produces a very satisfactory of Marc-hf 1922. i

driving lightv and is believed to comply 'with all of the resentregulations ot all of the States of tie Union which now hate lawspertaining to light distribution 'from head-V lamps.

What I claim' asV new4 is: 1. A vehicle headlight lens for use with theusuel parabolic zeileotor and lamp located lenhstnntialijy' at the focusof .the refieeto1'said lens having upon its opposed facesverticallyarranged 4rios and valleys,

the ribs upon one face being opposed*tot those upon-tite other and thevalleys corre" spondingly o posed, the cross sectional con tour of the aternating ribs and vnlleys heing substantially sinnoue upon each fece oftheleiis and' the curvature of the .i'itemiediate group of ribs andvalleys being-,less than that of the ribs and valleys .to either sidethereof.

e. iii-vehicle headlight im for 1i-smet' parabolic reflector and lenipthe usual located substantially at the focus ofthe e Hector, -said lensbeing divided vertically into an intermediate light transmitting porf'-tion and vlateral light diffusing' portions, site each of said portionshaving uponop faces thereof vertically arranged i ri s of substantiallyuniform transvetse contour throughout their lengths and valleys "sepvareting Aseid ribs of substantiallj' the same width sent-he ribs, theribs upon' opposite faces of the-lens being opposed and the valleyscorrespondingly opposed, and the ribs ofthe intermediate li it,transmitting portion of the lens 'being siaped to di'use the light lessthan the ribs vof the-lateral portions of the lens.

3. A. veh'cle hondlight'lens forn'se lwith.

the usda-l parabolicv reliectcr and lamp located substantially at thefocuszof the re Hector, said lens having' upon its opposite facesvertically arranged ribs of, substantial-- ly uniform cross section fromtop to bottoni, the ribs and intermediate valleys of each lens facehaving a'snhstantially'l 'sinnous contour izrctoss section, a. group othe ribs in front of the lmnp and .intermediate between the two sides ofthe lens being of less curvature in cross section Vthen the' remainingribs in order 'to perniitja greater-V portion of .light to pass directlythrough them, the ribs ofthis group upon the 4two acesof the .lens heiniopposed: v Signed et Detroit, ichigan` this .th day @manson 'oii'zsnWitnesses: l

IRENE Dommia, FLOYD A. Urfron.

lib

